Hat tray



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Feb. 2U, 1923.

J. S. BOOTH.

HAT TRAY.

` FILED ocr. 15. 1921. 3 SHEETS-SHEET s.

p .To altrui/wm t may concer/n Cit. i

` Patented Edele.' i923.

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f appiicauoa sied october'isgieei. serialno aoaeea Be 1t known that I, JoiviN SUiviNnnBooTH, a citizen of the United States, and"` a resident oiiDallas, in the county of Dallas andState` otTeXas,`1have inventedcertain new and useful lmprovementsiin Hat Trays, oil which the following is a specification.

adaptedi'or useuin the packing ot hats in `trunks asis the practice among salesmen,

jobbers and others, which is adjustable so as to be capablelof use with various styles and sizes oi hats, `and whichwis in general of simple and durable i construction, con! `venient 1in use and easyfand inexpensive to manufacture. 1 i i Otherobjects and advantages of the invention reside in certain novel features of construction, combination andA arrangement of parts whichwill `be hereinafter more fully described and `particularly pointed out in `the appended claims, reference being had i to the accompanying drawings forming part d()V oi' this specificatiomand in which:

Figure lis a perspective view, showing the cratestood on end Figure 2 is a view in vertical section of the,

tray in the position shown in Figure l; y `.lihgure 3 is a plan view, illustrating the :first stepin packing the hats;

Figure lis a similar view, illustrating `the second step;

`Figure his` asimilarview, illustrating the third and final step;

. Figure 6 isaperspective view illustratinganother embodiment.` of the invention Figure'is adetailview ot the sectional. ordemountablepost-andy .i

Figurevxis a detail view'iu section oli a modifiedL form. oibase.

1 Referring to the drawings `,vherein for the `salie of illustrationis shown the-preterred embodiment-oit the invention the numeral 10 designatesigenerallythe ibase of `the tray which comprises "side bars lljand end bars 1Q which extend acrossand are secured to the side bars. Y Cross slats 134 extend between andere secured tothe `side bars of the base and .r have w strips 14 of `cushioning material such as felt or the like, secured to "i y' y "nam maar.

theiruppei surface. These cross slats 13 constitute the oor of the crate and receivey ina-iter more fullyv described.-

If desired the strips of felt le provided on thecrossslats maybe lomitted and a coverthe lower tier of straw hats, as will be hereL i ing oi'fcloth or similar material may be prostruction, as shown in Figure 7,the legsare designated `at 2l' and 22, and are releasably secured to each otherby meansv of screws and bolts Q3 and '24C or other releasable fastening means. Preferably the-sectional postsare employed since they provide means whereby thetrays may be adapted for use with hats ci different height crowns as the posts 2l are provided in various lengths. rllhus thetray may `be adapted from season to seasontothe various stylesof hats in vogue, sincethe height of the crown ofv the hat is usually one of the features thereof which is changed in accordance with the changing styles. i

A frame, `designated generally at Q5 is arranged on the baseand includes longitudinal `side bars 26 `overlying andi-extending lonvided and `extend between and are secured u tothe side bars. vThe side baist and the cross barsQSjare provided on their inner surfaces with strips'oi" felt`,designated Q9 and'30,ijespectively,.the strips 'of telt constituting "cushioning means for the hats. lilnd` hars 3l are superposed on the longitudinal bars at the ends thereof, and theends ofthe endbars are secured `to the post 17 whereby these end bars not only enter into p the' construction ofthe rame25 but also brace` and strengthen the `posts 17.

l'ii packing the hats in 'the crate they are arranged in tiers, as illustrated .in `Figures hats of the first tier, and are two in number` as shown in Figure 45. rIhe hats of thethird tier are designated at H2, are seven in number, and are arranged inverted or upside down with their crownsreceived in the spaces between the hats oi"- the underlying tiers and with their brinis arranged in substantially the same planel asl indicated in Figure 5.

Means 'is provided for securing the tiers ofA hats against displacement in the tray andV preferably consists ot elastic bands 33 adjustably secured,v as at 34, to the longitudinal bars 26 of the frame 25 and elastically bearing on the inverted brims of the hats of the upper tiers.

Itis obvious that if it should bey found desirable to pack somewhat less than iitteen hatsin` the tray', dummies may be An widcd for the hats and may consist simp y of an open ended ring or cylinder corresponding to the size of a hat and` inserted in the tray in place thereof.

The embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 6 is usually to be preferred and is identical in all respects with the embodiment above described, except thatV one of the cross bars of the frame is made adjustable. In this embodiment the base is designated at 35 and the 'frame at 36. The adjustable cross bar of the frame is shown at 37 and has its ends provided with metallic caps 3S which are provided with bearing portions 39 which are rounded to engage the inner surface of thev longitudinal sidel bars ot the frame 36 and ywhich serve t'o connect the adjustable cross bar to slides 4.0which embrace the longitudinal side bars 36a of the frame and which'r are connected to adjusting straps fil secured to the outer sidesy ot' these side bars 36 and' embodying buckles iQ'ifor securing the straps and consequently the adjustable crossbar in any position. It is obvious that the adjustable cross bar S7 may be moved'longitudinally of the frame .in V'order to adaptthe Jframe to hats of various sizes.

These trayspacked` with.` hats asshown in Figure 5 'are adapted to be arranged one on top off' the other ina trunk or similar recep'tacle'and when so used it is convenient and' j )racticalole` toi pack- `one hundred and twenty hatsfinthe-same trunk in which no morethanftysix could be packed by using any of thetrays. heretofore known in the art; lilanifestly this is a` great saving to a travel-ing.- main jobber or factory with respect to excess baggage and wear and tear on trunks and makes it possible to transport the same number ot hats with one-hal l? the number of trunks.

In Figure S a modified lorm oil? the invention is shown wherein the base is constructed ot' a solid piece as shown at 5() and is provided with a coveringot fabric designated at 5l. This fabric may be o'le any textile material and it desired have cushioning properties, as for instance, it con sists of felt or the like. This toi-n1 of the invention is identical in all other resjjlects with the embodiment shown. ,in ,Figures 'l to 5, although iii desired, it may include the :uljustable cross bar shown in Figure l claim:

l. In a hat tray7 a base including side hars and end bars and a plurality of spaced cross slats providedv with strips of felt and coustituting a floor for said base posts up standing 'from the corners ot said base and including a short leg and a long leg dctachably secured to said short leg, a frame mounted on said baseand including longitudinalv bars secured at their ends to said post, supporting blocks arranged on said. base and supporting said longitudinal bars intermediate their ends,` cross bars extending between said longitudinal bars adjacent their ends, said longitudinal bars and said cross bars being provided with strips ot' telt constituting cushioning means for the hat7 said frame being adapted to receive said hats piled therein tier on tier, end cross bars superposed on said longitudinal bars and secured to said post, and means for securing said tiers of hats in position in said tray including elastic clau'iping bands releasably secured to the longitudinal side bars of the frame and elastically bearing on the hats of the uppermost tier.

2. In a hat tray7 a base including r a floor provided with cushioning means for the hats, posts upstanding `trom the corners of said base and including a pair of lugs rcleasably secured to each other, a frame arranged on said base and provided with cushioning means for the hats, theV base and :trame being adapted to receive thc huts piled tier on tier therein and elastic clamping bands releasably secured to the frame and elastically bearing on the uppermost tier o'l' hats for retainingr the hats in position in said frame.

fi. ln a hat tray. a base, posts'upstanding trom the corner ot said base. and a frame mounted on said base and including a movable cross ban and means for adjustin'gjand securing said movable cross bar in adjiistcd position..

4. ln a hat tray? a base` and a frame on said base having a movable cross bar` caps on the ends of said cross bar provided with rounded bearings rslidably engaging the frame, slides connected with the bearings of said cap and slidaloly embracing the trame, straps coasting 'with said slides, and

"buckles coat-,ting with. said straps.

l 1 6; ln a hat tray, a base `including 5. .ln allattrama base including a .floor lor the hats, posts arranged on said base` and a `frame mounted on the baseand in cluding longitlldinal hars secured to said posts, supporting blocks arranged on the hase and` supporting the longitudinal bars and a frame mounted on the base ,and in-` cluding longitudinal bars secured to said posts, supporting blocks arranged on the hase and supporting the longitudinal bars of the frame, and crossvbars arranged adjacent the ends of the longitudinal hars of said frame. a

7. .'[n ahat tray, a hase including a floor ttor the hats, sectional posts arranged on said base and including a pair of legs re leasably secured to each other and a frame mounted on said base and including an adjustable cross bar. r

l 8. In a hat tray, a base, a frame arranged on said base andadapted to receive the hats piled l tier on tire therein, and means for retaining the hats in position in said frame.

JOHN SUMNER BOOTH. 

